Many travelers today are looking for a deeper - more meaningful - connection to the places they visit, and the movement toward a more local travel experience is taking hold. Companies like Km Zero Tours in Tuscany are redefining what it means to see Italy with slow travel Tuscany experiences that introduce visitors to the local community and the producers who make it all come alive.

Where do you stay in the wilds of Chilean Patagonia if you're not exactly the camping type? Add a little luxury to the natural camping experience and voila! EcoCamp: the perfect eco-friendly, yet ruggedly-comfortable accommodation in Torres del Paine.

Visiting the world's most epic destinations carries certain imperatives - things you absolutely must do or see before you leave. Like hailing a cab in New York City, riding in a tuk-tuk in Delhi, or eating pizza in Italy. One more for that list? Horseback riding in Patagonia!

Those cute and cuddly aquatic manatees that are so homely they're adorable are also an endangered species. But there are ways to get up close and personal with them, through passive observation of them in the natural habitat. And the experience is one you'll never forget.

Is it possible to interact with a protected species like manatees in their natural habitat, and call it responsible tourism? Here's why we decided to go against conventional eco-wisdom and swim with manatees in Crystal River, the best place to see manatees in Florida.